Islam the Feminist, anti-Racist religion?
Reply #2 - November 09, 2015, 11:37 AM
Claiming Islam to be inherently anti-racist and feminist is a somewhat new and modern claim, something that has become a popular argument the last decade or so due to the shift in discourse about Islam (and especially Islam and/in the West). Of course, we would have to define the terms "anti-racist" and "feminism" to begin with, any discussion would be futile without a clear understanding what both parties mean when using these terms. As for feminism, there is no single definition of feminism. Feminism as an ideology is far more diverse than one would think, the only thing that any feminist would be able to agree with any other feminism, is that patriarchy and patriarchal structures are causing women to suffer of inequality and subjugation in society's all aspects and levels. What patriarchy is, how it takes form, the reasons and mechanisms behind, the solutions for it etc etc etc all depends what stance you take. Queer, liberal, Marxist, intersectionality, and so on.
Claiming Islam to be anti-racist is both true and untrue. It is true that there is no text in traditional Islam that could be used to interpret Islam to promote some kind of inherent hierarchy between people based on race or colour of the skin. On the contrary, it is often reiterated that what counts is the piety of a person. However, there are plenty of texts where people are described in such a manner that if one would do it today, that person would definitely be accused of reproducing racist structures (blacks are described as "black raisins", and some Arab tribes and Jews are said to be in such and such a way as if they were born like that only due to their ethnicity). And don't forget that while there are ahadeeth that talk about that even a "black slave" should be given leadership among men, if he is best suited and pious, there are also quite clear ahadeeth that state that the khalifah of a righteous khilafah can only be from the Quraish tribe. Not only Arab, but Qurayshi as well.
And yes, women were given a soul in Islam. They were also given the "privilege" to be judged on the same "terms" (well, that could be discussed because I am of on another opinion). However, men and women are not deemed to be equal in life, nor in the hereafter. We are not given the same rewards, we are not given the same rights and obligations, and the biggest obstacle for anyone to claim Islam to be propagating equality or "feminism" in any form is the concept of Qawwamah. Qawwamah is a simple and crude example of patriarchy. Which per definition is the cause of oppression and inequality between men and women. I think that makes any claim of (inherent) feminism to be nothing else than a farce, a theatrical display of ignorance in front of the masses.
Hate and discrimination against Muslims is definitely a hate crime. Substantial criticism of Islam or Muslim societies is not.
Whatever privileged (white) converts claim is only their own subjective experience and cannot be used to claim any truth or reality. Any Muslim can chose to interpret Islam in any way they wish, and if women can manage to tie in their personal interpretation of Islam with their own interpretation of feminism, then that is of course their right and their own personal reality. However, that claim is subjugated to criticism.
As a former salafi-talibah-feminist-Muslimah, I have yet to meet a single person or any single piece of argument that I'm not able to deconstruct and destroy into a million little pieces, beyond any doubt, that any claim of Islam and the emancipation of women is pure bullshit. But that's just me.
"The healthiest people I know are those who are the first to label themselves fucked up." - three
Topic: Islam the Feminist, anti-Racist religion?